Hello everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. I am not a follower of buddhism but I do follow the path in my own way. I feel drawn to siddartha himself. I have practiced meditation for a few years now and have been seeing a visualization of the buddha himself in my minds eye. sitting on his jeweled throne pointing at me. I have experience with shatipat meditation and have felt the fire rise once.

Buddhist practice is not really about having experiences. Even when specific experiences arise during meditation they are just recognised as signposts along the path rather than the destination of the journey.

I would recommend you find a group somewhere near you to practice with and/or speak with a teacher.

bryanskrantz wrote:I've been drawn to the Dalai Lama for quite a while but I'm not sure if there's any of his traditions in the pasaic county NJ are that I can drive to.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be in New York in October for a two and a half day teaching. It might be very beneficial for you to take this opportunity to go and see him and hear his teaching in person.

bryanskrantz wrote:I've been drawn to the Dalai Lama for quite a while but I'm not sure if there's any of his traditions in the pasaic county NJ are that I can drive to.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be in New York in October for a two and a half day teaching. It might be very beneficial for you to take this opportunity to go and see him and hear his teaching in person.

Don't worry too much about seeing H.H. The Dalai Lama. If you could even catch a glimpse of him it would be worth any amount of sacrifice, but it seems like you're looking for something more immediate.

NJ has plenty of Lamas I'm sure. Look around.

More importantly, start praying that the Lama finds you--our efforts to find a teacher are usually seem pretty hopeless. I looked high and low and went all the way to China trying to find one, and then realized when I was brokenhearted and returned to the US that I had already encountered him 3 years before and didn't have the sense to recognize him.

HAve you read anything helpful? Are you open to suggestions?? Studying/hearing the dharma is the most important first step. Many people on this board can point you to some REALLY good teachers who speak great English and have great recorded teachings online.

Nilasarasvati wrote:Don't worry too much about seeing H.H. The Dalai Lama. If you could even catch a glimpse of him it would be worth any amount of sacrifice, but it seems like you're looking for something more immediate.

NJ has plenty of Lamas I'm sure. Look around.

More importantly, start praying that the Lama finds you--our efforts to find a teacher are usually seem pretty hopeless. I looked high and low and went all the way to China trying to find one, and then realized when I was brokenhearted and returned to the US that I had already encountered him 3 years before and didn't have the sense to recognize him.

HAve you read anything helpful? Are you open to suggestions?? Studying/hearing the dharma is the most important first step. Many people on this board can point you to some REALLY good teachers who speak great English and have great recorded teachings online.

bryanskrantz wrote:Hello everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. I am not a follower of buddhism but I do follow the path in my own way. I feel drawn to siddartha himself. I have practiced meditation for a few years now and have been seeing a visualization of the buddha himself in my minds eye. sitting on his jeweled throne pointing at me. I have experience with shatipat meditation and have felt the fire rise once.

bryanskrantz wrote:Hello everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. I am not a follower of buddhism but I do follow the path in my own way. I feel drawn to siddartha himself. I have practiced meditation for a few years now and have been seeing a visualization of the buddha himself in my minds eye. sitting on his jeweled throne pointing at me. I have experience with shatipat meditation and have felt the fire rise once.

Many hellos.

I've known a few non-Buddhists who have had vivid experiences like the one you've described with either Shakyamuni Buddha (a.k.a. Siddhartha Gautama) or Tara.Best to seek a teacher, as many have mentioned.